When is the next BTCC race?
As the 2021 season draws to a close, it’s the BTCC finale at Brands Hatch. It’s Ash Sutton’s championship to lose, with Colin Turkington’s 32-point deficit a tough gap to close considering not only Sutton’s ability but also his Infinity’s reliability. Having barely put a foot wrong this season, it certainly looks as if he’ll take a third title. Then again, he arrived at Brands in 2020 trailing Turkington and went on to win, so there’s a chance Turkington could do the same.
As at Donington, there will be a Top Ten Showdown qualifying session which you can watch online on Saturday 23 October.
It involves an initial 25-minute session followed by a 10-minute ‘Showdown’. For that, lap times are reset and the top 10 from the first session have another crack at pole position. It’s a bit like F1 qualifying, only with two rounds instead of three.
Here’s how to catch the action on TV and online.
When is the next BTCC race?
TV coverage
This weekend, coverage will be onITV4(and ITV4 HD) as usual.
The entire event will be broadcast from 10.45am until 6.35pm – including support races, so you can watch all day long from the comfort of your armchair.
If you want to watch in HD, you’ll need to have Sky or Virgin, as ITV 4 HD isnn’t available on Freeview or Freesat, only the standard-definition versions.
Here’s the provisional timetable (TV coverage only):
Stream BTCC races online
You can also watch races live online atITV.com/BTCC. If you miss the races live, it’s possible towatch replays on ITV’s websiteand highlights are shown on ITV4, which are then available on ITV Hub, usually the following Saturday.
BTCC is now also on MotorTrendas part of the new Wide World of Speed motorsports block, and you can watch starting at 4pm ET.
How to watch BTCC qualifying in 2021
The Saturday qualifying session isn’t broadcast on TV, so you’ll have to watch online. Head toITV’s websiteand you can watch along with the timing information in a web browser on your PC, phone or tablet.
You can also seelive timingon the official BTCC website and in the BTCC app, which is available for iPhone and Android.
BTCC calendar 2021
The championship will visit 8 different circuits, with two visits to Thruxton and the traditional two different circuit layouts at Brands Hatch – the season will end with Brands Hatch GP as usual.
Circuit
Date
Thruxton
8-9 May
Snetterton
12-13 June
Brands Hatch Indy
26-27 June
Oulton Park
31 July – 1 August
Knockhill
14-15 August
Thruxton
28-29 August
Croft
18-19 September
Silverstone National
25-26 September
Donington Park National
9-10 October
Brands Hatch GP
23-24 October
BTCC 2021 teams and drivers
There’s a full-capacity grid, with Jack Mitchell taking Glynn Geddie’s seat with Team Hard. Note that Matt Neal isn’t driving in 2021 and Dan Cammish has also left Team Dymanics – he made an appearance for the first round only, standing in for Michael Crees whose seat has now been taken by Senna Proctor.
Here’s the full rundown.
Team
Car
Drivers
Halfords Team Dynamics Motorsport
Honda Civic Type R
Gordon Shedden, Daniel Rowbottom
Team BMW
BMW 3 Series
Colin Turkington, Tom Oliphant, Stephen Jelley
Toyota Gazoo Racing UK
Toyota Corolla
Rory Butcher, Sam Smelt
Laser Tools Racing
Infiniti Q50
Ash Sutton, Aiden Moffat, Carl Boardley
Team HARD
Cupra Leon
Jack Goff, Aron Taylor-Smith, Jack Mitchell, Nicolas Hamilton
Power Maxed Racing
Vauxhall Astra
Jason Plato, Daniel Lloyd
MB Motorsport
Ford Focus
Jake Hill, Ollie Jackson
Motorbase Performance
Ford Focus
Andy Neate, Sam Osbourne
Excelr8 Trade Price Cars
Hyundai i30 Fastback N
Jack Butel, Chris Smiley, Tom Ingram
Ciceley Motorsport
BMW 3 Series
Adam Morgan, Tom Chilton
BTC Racing
Honda Civic Type R
Jade Edwards, Josh Cook, Senna Proctor
BTCC podcasts
If you want even more BTCC, then something new for 2021 is that interviews and the Tin Top Tuesday podcast will be available on Amazon Music and – by extension – Alexa. Previously, and continuing as normal, they’ll also be on theofficial BTCC website.
How to watch BTCC outside the UK with a VPN
If you’re not in the UK, you won’t be able to watch BTCC without a VPN. That’s because, since Brexit, not even the paid-for ITV Hub+ service is available outside the UK.
A VPN can make it appear that you’re located in the same country as the broadcaster when you connect to a server in the UK.
We recommend usingNordVPN,SurfsharkorCyberGhost. Last time we checked, all three successfully unblocked ITV, but also have 24/7 live chat support if you do encounter any issues.
Read our guide to thebest VPN servicesfor more information.
Related articles for further reading
Author: Jim Martin, Executive Editor, Tech Advisor
Jim has been testing and reviewing products for over 20 years. His main beats include VPN services and antivirus. He also covers smart home tech, mesh Wi-Fi and electric bikes.
